Ben Kamens, communications director for Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), ignited a social media uproar this week by sharing a document revealing that his $8,250 student loan from 2010 was forgiven as part of Biden’s recent student loan relief measures.
According to Legistorm, the website that provides information about salaries, expenses, and other financial disclosures related to U.S. Congress members and their staff, Kamens earned $80,000 last year and is projected to earn $90,000 this year.
“Just got a call to let me know my student debt has been canceled,” Kamens posted on social media. “This is why elections matter. Thanks @JoeBiden.”
The post, in and of itself, wasn’t particularly damning. It’s been known that Biden buys votes by forgiving student loans to wealthy voters since his first try was deemed unconstitutional by the SCOTUS.
But social media detectives have had Kamens on their radar for quite some time because of his constant posts bragging about his lavish lifestyle. Kamen posted several pictures of extravagant food enjoyed in high-end restaurants, taking photos of meals including a seafood tower of oysters and lobsters and a photo snapped in a high-dollar Brazilian steakhouse.
Kamen has also bragged about trips to AirBnB locations, being a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Eagles at over $2600 a year, and attending the D.C. “Nerd Prom,” an affectionate term for the White House Correspondents dinner, this past spring. Tickets to attend this event can cost up to a thousand dollars apiece.
Additionally, Kaptur herself is under scrutiny following the post due to conflicting stances on student loan forgiveness.
In 2022, Kaptur criticized Biden’s plan to cancel student loan debt, questioning, “What about the people who paid off their loans?” She argued that such decisions should involve Congress and raised concerns about the president’s constitutional authority to impact federal finances without congressional approval. Kaptur had previously voted against legislation to cancel Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan.
But Kaptur suddenly supports the plan, especially as she faces a tight race against Derek Merrin, a Republican, to hold on to her seat.
Kamens isn’t the only high-dollar earner to brag about his student loan cancellation. Last week, On Wednesday, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter celebrated the cancellation of his student loans. He shared a screenshot from his Mohela account, which showed a balance of $0.00, and expressed gratitude to President Biden with a post on social media.
Carter earned around $132,000 last year, according to GovSalaries.com.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal law does not permit Biden’s education secretary to erase over $430 billion in student loan debt. Despite this setback, Biden pledged to persist with his student debt relief efforts. He introduced the Savings on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan in February. This initiative forgives debts for borrowers enrolled for at least ten years and holding $12,000 or less in student loans. Those with higher debts will receive relief, with an extra year of payments required for each additional $1,000 borrowed.
Biden has frequently boasted about circumventing the SCOTUS to enact his “student loan relief” programs. “The Supreme Court tried to block me from relieving student debt. But they didn’t stop me. I’ve relieved student debt for over 5 million Americans. I’m going to keep going,” Biden posted on social media.
President Joe Biden often highlights his efforts to address student debt cancellation as he campaigns for reelection. However, his approach has not garnered widespread support, even among those directly affected by student loans.
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that three in 10 U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of student loan debt, while four out of 10 disapprove. The rest either have neutral feelings or are unsure.
The sentiment is similar among individuals with unpaid student loan debt.
Kamens and Carter are examples of why many Americans oppose Biden’s student loan forgiveness. People making as much money as these two should be ashamed of themselves for applying in the first place.
